


The Photo

by Midnightcat1



Category: Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Child Abuse, Episode: s01e27 The Underdwellers, Episode: s02e11 Baby-Doll, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 20:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13911252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnightcat1/pseuds/Midnightcat1
Summary: Frog is curious after he views Poison Ivy with Baby Doll and Harley Quinn.





	1. Chapter 1

I don't own Batman TAS characters.

 

''OBTAIN PRETTIES FOR YOUR KING!'' They were the recent words Frog remembered. There were other things Frog recalled about the Sewer King. The latter's scowl if pretties were not obtained. The Sewer King placing children in a chamber filled with light for speaking during lessons. He continued to wander the streets of Gotham City. 

Frog rarely saw a happy Sewer King. He usually saw the latter's scowl, but never tears. He tried to remember his foster father's smile. The Sewer King mostly smiled by his sewer alligators. His pets. His pretties.

Frog always tried to avoid the alligators. Their multiple teeth always caused him to tremble. He began to wonder if the Sewer King had toy alligators when he was a boy. Frog tried to recall him mentioning his family. He mostly remembered the Sewer King mentioning society shunning him. He thought he remembered him revealing living in poverty. 

Frog wondered if the Sewer King's family abused him. Perhaps the latter ran from his family. Perhaps there were bruises on the young boy. Maybe a red mark on his face from his father hitting him. Perhaps he ran into the sewer and others never approved. Frog also wondered if the young Sewer King became friends with alligators. 

There were new memories of the Sewer King. The happy latter scratching one alligator's snout. ''You never distress me, my pet.''

Frog still was not sure why the Sewer King always stuttered when he was enraged. At least the latter smiled if certain pretties were revealed near him. Mostly rings and necklaces. There was one item Frog always dreaded. The staff. The staff used for hitting any girl or boy causing the Sewer King distress. 

A memory of viewing bruises on a girl's arm caused Frog to wince for a few moments. The girl's tears were revealed after the scowling Sewer King brought the staff down on her arm. Her crime? Obtaining two coins instead of pretties for her king. The girl ran to Frog before he tried to comfort her. He smiled near his companion to cheer her up. 

The memory of the girl's sudden smile caused a rare happy expression to form on Frog's face. 

What were other memories of the Sewer King? How he was quick to remind all children that he took them in when nobody else cared about them. The Sewer King mentioned feeding his children. Clothing them. Disciplining them. Educating them. 

Frog glanced at many buildings, but there weren't any people. Not one person to adopt him. He looked back. Worry filled Frog's eyes. He couldn't abandon the Sewer King's other children. His companions. 

There were memories of Frog's companions' tears due to the enraged Sewer King, bruises, etc. Their wide eyes after the Sewer King's pet alligators wandered by them. Their trembling bodies the minute the enraged Sewer King found wire hangers in the sewer and used the hangers to discipline them. They guessed his father used wire hangers to harm him when he was a boy. 

Frog had to obtain pretties for his king as soon as possible. Pretties for a poverty-stricken man. 

That was when Frog remembered the Sewer King occasionally reading newspapers due to children bringing them to him. Perhaps he was able to obtain pretties with newspapers. Frog began to search for any newspapers. He also remembered stealing a newspaper recently. There was something he remembered about it. Three villains committed various crimes and were featured in the newspaper. 

Frog's eyes settled on a bank. They widened after the three villains ran out of it. He gasped as soon as he recognized them from the newspaper.


	2. Chapter 2

Frog viewed Baby Doll carrying two bags of money. He turned to Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn as they followed her. His eyes remained on them as they found themselves in a car. He viewed them turning to him. 

Baby Doll began to scowl at Frog. ''Zero cash for you!'' she said. She turned to Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. She saw their wide eyes as they focused on Frog. 

''Let's scram before the cops arrive,'' Harley Quinn said to Poison Ivy and Baby Doll. She viewed them nodding. 

Frog stepped back after he was abandoned. He blinked twice. 

Frog ran to a small house. Perhaps he was able to find a pretty in it. He remembered the recent consequences if he returned without a pretty. His body trembled. 

The memory Frog approached the scowling Sewer King without a pretty. He watched as the latter trembled. His eyes widened at a snail's pace as soon as the Sewer King pointed near him. Frog viewed him jabbing the air with every word. 

''Y,y,y,you are causing me distress by not obtaining a pretty! Ohhh! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!'' the Sewer King said. 

The memory Frog's eyes remained wide as he stepped back. 

''What are the consequences? Perhaps I will feed you to my pets,'' the Sewer King said to Frog before he paced. He glanced at two alligators by his throne. The Sewer King ceased pacing and approached the alligators. ''Are you hungry, my pets?'' he wished to know. He scratched their snouts. 

The Sewer King walked to Frog before he revealed a staff from behind his back. He began to smile. ''I won't end your life, Frog. Deceased brats aren't able to obtain pretties for their king. Ohhhh! N,n,n,no.'' 

The Sewer King continued to smile. He used the staff to strike his palm twice. He viewed Frog wincing. The Sewer King touched the latter's shoulder. He held the staff above his head. ''You cause me distress. I will cause you distress, Frog!'' he said. 

Frog winced and refused to remember the Sewer King punishing him. He ceased trembling. At least the bruises on his arms were gone.

The Sewer King usually smiled by his babies. His alligators. He never revealed remorse after being cruel near Frog and his friends. 

Was the Sewer King able to reveal tears at all?


	3. Chapter 3

Frog focused on the house for a few seconds. He walked to the front door at a snail's pace. He touched the door and hesitated.   
Frog remembered the enraged Sewer King trembling. After opening the door, he ran into the house. He began to shut the door. His eyes settled on everything in the living room. 

There were many books on a shelf. A large chair was near a corner. A table was in the middle of the living room. 

Frog searched for any jewels, but zero luck. Frowning, he turned to stairs and went up them. He saw a chamber and walked into it. His eyes widened another time after he viewed a woman resting in a man's arms under a blanket. His shoulders slumped. He hesitated another time. 

Frog glanced at his arm and remembered bruises on it. After wincing another time, he approached a table. He saw a framed photo on it. Curious, he tilted his head to one side. Frog's eyes widened again. A sudden smile formed. 

One pretty for the Sewer King. 

Frog looked back. His eyes settled on the resting spouses. His frown came back at a snail's pace. Frog began to hesitate another time. One pretty for the Sewer King. Zero new bruises if the Sewer King smiled. 

Frog's frown remained as he took the photo. He ran out of the chamber and never looked back. He approached the door and opened it. After shutting the door, he ran to a sewer. Frog moved the lid to one side. He found himself in the sewer and ran again. 

Frog paused near the Sewer King. His eyes were wide again as the latter sat on a throne. He focused on the Sewer King's scowl and clothes. The Sewer King's half-shades with his suit. His long hair. His cape. 

''Pretties for your king?''


	4. Chapter 4

Frog began to tremble another time. He gave the photo to the Sewer King. He continued to tremble after the latter stood. Frog watched as the Sewer King's scowl remained. One eye widened behind the half-shades. He viewed the Sewer King trembling for a different reason. 

''WHERE WAS THIS PHOTO OBTAINED?'' the Sewer King shouted. 

Frog's eyes remained wide before he stepped back. He tried not to imagine new bruises. Perhaps the Sewer King was going to place him in a light-filled room for a few hours. Frog remembered the light always hurting his eyes. How he winced near the light. Even when his eyes remained shut. 

Frog viewed the Sewer King dropping the photo and grinding the heel of his boot on it. 

''I'LL NEVER RETURN TO MY PREVIOUS LIFE! EVERYONE SHUNNED ME!'' the Sewer King shouted.

Frog glanced at what was left of the photo. He turned to the Sewer King. His eyes widened another time after many tears streamed down the sobbing Sewer King's face. He viewed the man's tears falling on the photo. A photo of a young Sewer King with his parents. The happy family. Frog currently knew how capable the Sewer King was of revealing tears. 

 

THE END


End file.
